Giants' Travis Beckum further along in rehab than 'ACL buddy' Jake Ballard

Ed Murray/The Star-LedgerGiants tight ends Travis Beckum (top) and Jake Ballard (right, in hat) have been rehabbing their ACL injuries since the post-Super Bowl XLVI celebration. Beckum is much closer to returning to action, though.

Forget that Travis Beckum and Jake Ballard are both tight ends on the same team who tore the same knee ligament in Super Bowl XLVI. Never mind their lockers are next to each other and that they’ve become close friends. Heck, don’t even listen to Beckum when he said he and Ballard are “ACL buddies.”

Pretend they’re two injured players on different recovery schedules. Because that’s precisely what the Giants’ doctors and trainers are telling them now that Beckum is far more advanced in his recovery.

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“That’s what they kind of harped on us about not doing, because one could possibly be doing better than the other and you don’t want to rush the injury and make it worse,” Beckum said today during a break in his rehab while the rest of the team participates in offseason workouts. “It sucks but it’s a part of the game. Obviously, I’m mentally here for Jake and we kind of push each other.”

As reported by The Record recently, Ballard had microfracture surgery in addition to his ACL repair. That meant he had to stay off his feet for six weeks while Beckum got into his recovery and impressed doctors with his ability to walk, minimal swelling and good muscle definition around the knee. (The Giants, realizing both players faced a long recovery, signed Martellus Bennett on the second day of free agency.)

Beckum said he covers the slender scar on his right knee with his shorts and quizzes his teammates on which knee he injured. Many guess incorrectly, he said.

Ballard isn’t as optimistic at this point.

“Different people with different things but my best chance will be mid-season – if at all,” he said.

When asked if the “at all” part is tough to handle, Ballard replied, “Not really. A lot of people have ACLs and miss a year. Why should I be lucky enough that I don’t miss the whole entire year? I can’t do anything (about it) now. I’m past that. I’m hurt. I’m trying to get better.”

Ballard was happy to hear Beckum received good news recently and wished “more power to him.” Still, Beckum said he’ll listen to his body and try not to push too hard too fast. If he must begin the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list and wait six weeks to begin practicing, so be it.

“You know what? You’ve got to try to think positive about the situation,” he said. “Obviously, I would love to be back by the first game. If I’m (on) PUP, I don’t necessarily look at it as a bad thing, just more time to make sure my knee is 100 percent and to get my body right.”

He added, “Sometimes the knee feels good, but it’s at its weakest point. If you go out there and feel comfortable and do something, you can obviously backtrack yourself and potentially ruin the surgery.”